Christmas!

I am several posts behind and I'm just now posting this Christmas. We actually just came home yesterday from our last Christmas (we had 5 this year!) in Washington. I will post about our trip in another post but for now and here are a few pictures!

This is at our house. This years for the gifts I decided to steal an idea from one of my favorite movies, Sound of Music, and do brown paper packages tied up with strings...

The polka dotted darling on the couch isn't a Christmas decoration per say, but she is the cutest thing in the house, so I thought I would include her :)

This is such a typical California thing, warm clothes, fleece jacket, yet completely barefoot.

I blame her mom.

This is from our Christmas Eve. Our tradition is to sleep out "under the tree" but I have yet to sleep on any of these nights. Our first year I couldn't sleep because right before we were about call it a night I saw a spider on my pillow. Last year I was 9 months pregnant and wasn't sleeping regardless of where I was. This year I had a 10 month old who spent the majority of the night climbing on my head. I think she was excited ;)

We also had a Christmas night with David and Julie (my brother and sister in law) since we didn't want to have to pack each other's gifts up to Washington. I cooked a ham and we had a great time together. Penny absolutely loved the fun gifts they gave her. We love them!

Pen and her new puzzle from Uncle David and Aunt Julie

To Be Continued...

10/11 Months Old!

Our little girl is almost a year old! I haven't blogged in a while and I have some catching up to do. Our lives have completely changed in this last month and Penny has had a big part to play in that. She is walking! She started walking at about 9 1/2 months and now is full speed ahead. I love this stage, it is so much fun to watch her discover new things!

Penny was really sick for quite a while and is finally healthy. It is amazing how different she is when she is feeling well. She is a blast! She has such a funny personality and it seems like her number one goal is to make us laugh. Which we do, all the time!

She absolutely loves her Dada and we hide from him every night when he comes home until he finds us. When he picks her up and starts to tell me about his day she will physically turn his face toward her to make sure he's looking at her. Its pretty stinkin cute.

We have entered into a whole new realm of discipline with this little stinker. We went to a Christmas party where there was a little boy who had the most ear shattering scream when he tried to get his parents attention. Penny thought that was a great idea and that she should start using it on us. Not quite our favorite form of communication. She also learned the graceful art of arching her back when she doesn't get her way. Its been a bit more challenging to direct her little heart to obedience but God has been gracious to forgive us for our many shortcomings as new parents.

She finally has two little teeth and her hair is JUST beginning to come in. She's working on a really great little mullet:) She loves dancing and playing on her toy drum. Her two absolute favorite things are talking to her Oma (my mom) on the phone every morning and going over to her Hoss and Gramma's (Jona's mom & dad) house. She has been so blessed with some pretty awesome grandparents and aunts & uncles!

Here are some pictures of the last couple of months...

Those big brown eyes will be the death of us :)

Cuddling with Dada

Playing at Gramma's. It is apparently easier to

go over rather than around :)

Trying on the snowsuit

Dancing!

Penny in her robe :)

Life is so hard :)

Playing with Uncle Jed!

Probably my favorite picture of the month :)

Here is a short video of Penny and her cousin Ray...